Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-30
THE STORY FINISHED.
VAN b BAKER RELEASED FROM THE
HEAVY STRAIN
What ir, Cross Examination of Yesterday Morning
Developed The appearance Of the Accused.
The Evidence Given by Raisou.
Dr. Pierce as an Expert.
The nltendance at the Enker mnrde

"'' I tV'NN 10 d" LAPti"
The attendance at the Baker murder
hmI became perfect jam yesterday
/ The people filled every available chair,
crowded the aisles aud swarmrd up in
the bar around the prisoner For once
the hitherto inyiuc,blr reporter lost the
seats they have bceu 81 tenaciuuSly cling
lng to and were compelled To take their
chance with the crowd. 1t was gen
orally known that the prisoner would
complete his testimony, and Ralstou the
maIu witness for the defense would Ice on
the stand, and m.ny people who have not
/ therefore attended the trial Hooked III to
hear the testimony which Baker has
/ claimed all along would clear him,
The prisoner WAS looking pale and
shaky when Court opened in the morning.
! His tale did not Iun near 50 glibly as it
/ did the day before under the scathing
cross questioning Of the prosecution; he
/ was compelled to take refuge in a poor
memory, uI which plea he aSmlcd himself
At every opportunity. The wonderful
! facility OF his lorgetmlnrsS brcamc very
monOtouous during the latter part of the
morulug
/ Baker seemed thoroughly exhausted
when he stepped from the witness stand
/ The intense strain OF a two days cNamina-
/ tion had told more upon him than all the
| preceding days oi the trial. In the after.
noon he was unable To summon enough
energy to pay any attention to the testi-
muuy, but remained either reclining in
| his chair or htS head thrown forward rest
| lug on the table us If asleep. The most
important testimony Of the day was that
ol Samuel RalStuu. As the clerk called
hls uamc IN extremely tail, loose iointtd
man ~huitied IN and all n"rEs were rranrd
( IN general curiosity 10 see the man whose
| evidence would prove the prisoner iunO-
cent. Ills story Is given in full Whether
| II is trur OF not, 1t Is a Hat contradiction
! at the published statements OF score Of
/ the very best citizens OF Hancock county
CROSS ENANIIN ALTON RE~uMEp.
The cross-rNammatiou Of the prisoner
/ WAS resumed Baker said. The three
men said they would come and sign the
article On Friday; they had mentioned
! Friday Is the day they wished to com
mcncr hutldiug; my vile said Mt. Baker
would draw up the article; the article Tor
/ the stable had been written at the special
| request OF Paddy Mud, who was to rent it;
| these three men did not take receipt for
/ the ten dollars; did not ask their names
TO pat it IN the article; they never called
| tO slgu It, never saw the axe an the kitch
ru h-rury the murder; on Tuesday wen,
/ out to the coal house To look for it, but
| did not iiud it, was not certain that IT
/ WAS our aN until looked there and could
not find ours; had used it little on
Monday; am not positive where | lett 1t
that day.
sHAETENEu IT ONCE
4 short time after cane home; We ground
! IL at Mr.. Roberts blacksmith shop; Mrs
! Sturgeon visited thcm after came hour,
| ! don rvwrmher.ut seeing the nNr m the
| Kitchen while she was there.
Q--Wheu you %rw the dead hoiirs did
YOU notice the caps put on WRONG side ont
/ and wrong SIDE foremost
! Add not notice anything Of the kind;
! / picked up my wife in my arms, but
don't remember ct seeing string tied
clo~rly around her neck; | was not think
ing of any little miuutir Of that kind;
was thinking about the bodies aud the
murdcr; noticed there were some bruises
and g,ShcS on their heads. but paid uo at
! trntlOu to anything IN particular: when |
! picked her up aud her head dropped down
! | did no. see ans great cash in the back Of
nry head
Q-Thr body being limp, AZ you say
wouid not that make the head tall down
and show the cash.
4 ! don't know. [ did not see any
cash there at all; | did not notice the
stockings oi the women being turned in
side out; wheu they were holding the
coroner's Inquest | saw the garments that
| had been
STRIPPED OFF or THE WOMEN;
saw none of their hair taken out of the
tub; Dan M,Cloud saw me at the McWha
house ON Tuesday; answered some Qurs-
tiuuS that he asked me: We were sitting
down part OF the time; think | talked
with him after dinner sitting ON the grass;
have no doubt that told him about
reading the morning papers and seeing a
terrible account IN them
CHARGING NE WITH THE MrEDEEi
| can't say positively that told McCIoud
that was ready to lac arrested; McCloud
Taskcd me some Vu, StlonS about the muir
! der, ! do not remember OF saving l0 him
sit down here and will tell YOU all
about it,; told him about the three men
| being there; said to him one of the men
took out some money and handed mc u
hlty dollar bill: don't know whether
said roll OF not; am certain did not
say a large roll; he ran OF a.
bill from his money: only one bill
was shown me don't deny that said
I to McCloud that | told the man I would
change 1t; can't say whether | told him
that my wife said Hold Oh, mother cln
change it, have no distinct recollection
OF saying anything about my Wltc's getting
the money changed; | don't think | told
him that | thought the men had come 10
kill the women IN order To get the ninety
dollars that they knew was in the house,
nor do / remember Oi saying to him that
the three hundred and fifty dollars was
stolen from me- do not rccullect Of saying
to him that they overlooked my wife 5
gold watch: never said to him that my
wife and myself were in the front room,
and some one came. and Mrs McWha
who was in the kitchen showed the door to;
never told him that SHE came in aud told
Us about it aud We scoldcd her about it
and she said they were paddle, and she
did not want 10 he bothered; did not tell
him that | saw Mrs. Swemiugcn at the
gate aud she told me she had called on
my wife and got no answer,
and then went up TO the house
onto the porch; opened the door
went in the hall and in few steps came to |
the bodies Of Mrs. MrWha and my wife |
know did not tell him that was "hor /.
rifed' on "shrauk' ont: might have /
said | was shocked Hnd went out and |
raised the alarm. / told him the general |
occurrences about finding the bodies and /
other things about the murder. but have |
no recollection of any Su,riHa Statements |
made: have no idea h0w long ! talked /
to him. there were 20 Hany talking to ne |
and So often that have forgotten most Of
the little details; have no recollection of
speaking Ia MIN about the tub of water; /